茉莉花茶 (mò li huā chá) — jasmine tea

Definition

noun
jasmine tea
Measure word · 杯

Examples

  • 茉莉花茶。
    Wǒ mā ma zuì xǐ huan hē mò li huā chá.
    My mom likes to drink jasmine tea the most.
  • 茉莉花茶。
    Zhè jiā diàn de mò li huā chá wèi dào hěn xiāng.
    This shop's jasmine tea smells very fragrant.
  • 茉莉花茶。
    Tā gěi wǒ pào le yì bēi mò li huā chá.
    He made me a cup of jasmine tea.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

茉莉
茉mò莉lì
花茶flower tea
花huāflower茶chátea
偏正Modifier + head

茉莉 names the jasmine plant, and 花茶 means flower-scented tea, giving the name jasmine tea.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
末
末mò茉
Same sound today

茉 is built from 艸 (grass) plus 末, which gives its sound.

Open 茉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
利
利lì莉
Same sound today

莉 has 艹 at the top to mark a plant, and 利 below to give its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú茶chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 茶, the 艹 part marks a plant, and the 余 part gives the sound.

Open 茶 →

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